THE ROYAL HUNT.
Mrs. Graham had, during the past few weeks, given herself up to the
comforts of her delightful boudoir, seldom accompanying her friends on
the many excursions which were projected for their pleasure. The
splendid attendance, the magnificent apartment, the sumptuous table, all
tended to make her new life a happy one. It was just suited to the
fastidious tastes of such a woman as Mrs. Graham, and she had determined
to startle her native city with a reproduction of many of its delightful
features.
Nellie had enjoyed the new life quite as much as her mother but in a
different way. With Mr. Bruce she had visited every nook and corner of
the Temple, and had taken sketches of the principal courts, colonnades
and terraces, intending to copy them in oil at home. Then they had taken
long walks through the city and visited the schools in which Nellie was
especially interested; had remained one whole day in the provision
market, where the inhabitants went each morning for the day’s supplies,
and another in the mills where the cloth for wearing apparel was woven.
They had spent many happy hours in the fine art studio, where beautiful
statues were being carved out of blocks of onyx, and where pictures were
being painted on flat pieces of hard wood.
There was also the school of architecture, where students between the
ages of twelve and twenty were busy working out the difficult problems
and drawings. In this building also were made the gold ornaments which
were used in every household in rich profusion, in the shape of girdles
for the waist, bands and ornaments for the hair. It was noticed that
certain models were used for all these different works of fine art, and
that nothing new was ever executed. As Onrai had told them, though, the
models were perfect and nothing more beautiful could be conceived. They
had also visited the parks, squares and principal thoroughfares, and had
taken an interest in studying the architecture and furnishings of the
different residences. All places were open to them and the greatest
attention was paid them wherever they went.
This constant association and similarity of tastes had brought these two
closer together, and although Mr. Bruce had never yet mentioned his love
to Nellie, still he felt that she reciprocated that love.
Mr. Graham, sometimes accompanied by Harry, but oftener alone, had gone
everywhere. He was in his element, for, astride of a beautiful zebra, he
would take long rides into the country and spend whole days fishing on
the small lakes, or at other times, would venture a short distance into
the great hunting reserve. In this grand expanse of wild jungle and
forest could be found every known species of African animal, and Mr.
Graham was especially delighted in the hunting of large game. The laws
governing these hunts were rather strange; the smallest of each species
of animal was killed, the largest always being left. The same laws which
governed the inhabitants were applied to the wild animals and also to
those domesticated, allowing the larger to mate and bring forth healthy
offspring. If a colt or baby elephant should be dwarfed at birth, or
show any ailment afterward, it was instantly killed. By observing this
law with the domestic animals, and in killing only the smaller of the
wild animals, the whole race had become large and powerful.
Harry seemed to be the only unhappy one in the party. This was easily
accounted for. During the long excursions the King would be at Enola’s
side constantly, and Harry had hardly found time to speak with her alone
since they had arrived in this, as he called it, barbarous land. Onrai
always dined with the party and sat at Enola’s right. Harry had been
given a seat the farthest from her; whether this was done intentionally
or not, Harry could not say, but he fumed in silence. After the evening
meal, Enola would invariably accompany Onrai to the terrace where they
would sit until near midnight. Occasionally Harry would have a short
talk with Enola in the morning, but even then their conversation was of
Onrai.
Sedai had been given a home with one of the inhabitants and was enjoying
the new life greatly. He had been given a zebra and spent most of the
time on its back. Once each day he would go to the Temple to see his
friends, and while there would tell of his exploits among the fair woman
of the city. Because he was one of the party he was looked upon with
great admiration. As he was but little below the height of the native
men and was only a shade darker in color, the inhabitants had been led
to believe that he was one of their own race, but had in some mysterious
way left his own land and visited that planet from which the strangers
were supposed to have come. The women smiled on him, the men treated him
with the greatest respect and he could hardly help liking this new life.
He had come up to the Temple on this morning to join the party in the
royal hunt.
The rifles which our friends had brought with them they had never used
for fear of the natives coveting them when they learned their value in
the hunt, but now they felt, because of the great respect which had been
shown them, that they and everything pertaining to them was held as
sacred by the natives, and they had decided to use the guns on to-day’s
hunt.
The morning was bright and the hour early when the party started. Enola
and her friends were seated on huge black elephants with long formidable
tusks and trained to the hunt. Around the neck and also around the body,
just back of the howdah of each elephant was a band of gold, in which
were embedded the handles of large pointed daggers, the blades pointing
outward. These were placed for the protection of the elephants and of
those who rode them. The rest of the party rode zebras which were to-day
only plainly caparisoned. The weapons of the natives consisted of large
cross-bows with quivers of flint-pointed arrows, daggers with long,
narrow blades and axes with short handles.
About one hundred comprised the party, all well armed and impatient for
the hunt. They traversed the same road over which our friends had been
conducted when they first came to the city, and very soon passed through
a huge gate on the border of the hunting reserve and then across the
long stone bridge. Before going through the gate, the zebramen had all
dismounted, leaving the zebras to graze in a near-by field until they
returned. These men were to beat and cut the bush, to stir up the game
and also to make a pathway for the hunters. The footmen went forward,
and with huge clubs in one hand and axes in the other, opened up a
passage-way. A little while later an open forest was reached and passed;
the trees of this forest were literally alive with monkeys which
chattered and made grimaces as the party passed. Deer were seen
scampering away, and occasionally a huge boa constrictor could be seen
crawling through the high grass or suspended from the limb of a tree
waiting for its prey. On the opposite side of the forest a thick and
almost impenetrable jungle confronted them, but the bush-beaters went to
work again and a way was opened up.
Suddenly a roar was heard which was almost deafening. The elephants
stopped and began to move their huge ears forward and back and give
short cries similar to those of a baby. The men immediately scattered,
dividing equally and moving to the right and left. Soon they had formed
a circle about two hundred feet in diameter, and then commenced to close
in toward the centre. This was slow work but they knew that it would not
last long, as the lion or lioness would make a dash for liberty or jump
at one of the party. Mr. Graham had directed his elephant near the
circle and from his elevated point of view he could occasionally catch a
glimpse of a tail above the bush. The men were slowly closing in on the
lion and Mr. Graham held his rifle in readiness to get the first shot.
Suddenly the lion raised on his haunches so that his head appeared above
the bush. This was enough for Mr. Graham, and taking a quick aim at the
head, he fired. The lion dropped, and the natives stood aghast at the
sound of the shot and the sudden flash of fire and smoke which followed.
Mr. Graham slipped from the back of the elephant and made for the bush
and, with the help of an axe, which he was wielding, was fast nearing
the lion, when the huge beast leaped into the air and struck him fairly
on the side of the head. Mr. Bruce, who had half-expected something of
the kind, had been waiting for the lion to leap, and as he appeared
above the bushes, had aimed at a point just behind the brute’s shoulder
and fired. Mr. Graham had been stunned by the powerful blow of the lion
and Mrs. Graham screamed and fainted. Leaving the backs of their
elephants, Onrai, Harry and Mr. Bruce hurried to their companion’s
assistance, and soon reached the spot where he and the lion lay
together. He was insensible and bleeding badly from his wound and with
the lion lying dead over his lower limbs. Harry and Mr. Bruce called
some of the natives, and together they moved the body of the lion, after
which they carried Mr. Graham to an open place where his wound was
washed and wine being poured between his lips he was soon restored to
consciousness. Mrs. Graham was revived by Enola and Nellie, and Mr.
Graham refusing to return, he again took his place in the howdah and the
hunting party proceeded after leaving a number of the natives behind to
skin the lion.
Mr. Bruce’s shot had struck the lion just behind the right shoulder and
the bullet had penetrated the heart. It was lucky for Mr. Graham that it
did so, for the lion, being maddened with pain, would soon have torn him
to pieces. The King and his men looked at the lion carefully, turning it
over and over, trying to find the marks of wounds such as their arrows
would have made. Harry took his rifle, and handing it to the King,
showed him how to hold it properly, and then how to aim it, telling him
to aim at one of the lion’s paws. He did so, and pulled the trigger. The
King dropped the gun as soon as it was discharged, alarmed at the loud
report it had made so near his ears. Harry and the King went up to the
lion and pointing to its huge paw, Harry showed Onrai the hole made by
the bullet. He was greatly surprised, but could not understand it. Harry
then showed him one of the cartridges and explained to him how the
concussion caused the powder to ignite, forcing the bullet from the tube
and through the gun-barrel with such swiftness as to penetrate anything
that it came in contact with. Onrai slowly shook his head as if it were
still a puzzle to him.
They again took up the march through the jungle, and presently came to a
large stream which must have found its outlet in the river at the base
of the mountains. They followed the bank of the river for some distance,
until they came to a stone bridge over which they passed. Another open
forest was entered, and here was seen the first herd of elephants. Upon
catching sight of the elephants which our friends were riding, the
curiosity of the herd was aroused, and they came crowding about the
hunting party by scores. So quick had been their movements that the men
on foot had time to do nothing but climb trees. These elephants were
huge monsters, but did not seem ill-disposed towards our friends. They
were very curious, and could not understand the queer things on the
necks and backs of the domesticated elephants. They came crowding around
our friends, shoving their trunks up into their faces and under the
saddle-cloths, as if trying to find out all they could about these
strange visitors. Occasionally one would come too close to the elephants
of our party, and would be pricked by the long daggers about their
bodies, when it would give a cry and retreat. The tame elephants paid no
attention to the others, seeming to consider them as beneath their
notice. They probably looked upon these denizens of the forest as our
friends would on a band of savages. Their curiosity satisfied, they
slowly retreated through the forest, throwing their enormous trunks into
the trees and breaking off limbs half the size of a man’s body. The men
came down from the trees and the party again took up the march.
They had proceeded but a short distance when a shriek of terror from
Mrs. Graham caused all to look in her direction. A huge gorilla had
sprung from a neighboring tree and seized her with his powerful arm,
showing his white teeth and chattering wildly. For an instant all was
confusion. Harry sprang to the rescue and before the animal could drag
Mrs. Graham from the elephant, his rifle was emptied of its deadly load
and the gorilla laid writhing on the ground.
With two such experiences in such a short time it was deemed expedient
to abandon the hunt for the day, and though Mrs. Graham was sorry to
cause this break in the programme she could not but admit her desire to
leave a place so fraught with danger. So back through the jungle and
forest, over the bridge and through the gate, and along the white road,
the cool evening breeze now refreshing them after the fearful heat of
the day, the party made its way toward the city.